Owner of pit bull accused in Norridge attack fails to show at hearing

A Norridge man whose pit bull was allegedly responsible for at least four attacks since 2012 failed to show up in court Aug. 4 to face charges stemming from an attack in July that injured two small dogs and their owner.

Two dog owners whose pets were injured in separate attacks in June 2014 and July of this year appeared at the court hearing at Village Hall to provide testimony against 48-year-old Vincenzo Recchia, the man who owns the pit bull.

Recchia, of the 4900 block of North Chester Avenue, is facing charges that he failed to restrain an unlicensed dog and did not have current rabies vaccinations for Vida, the pit bull police said attacked a Chihuahua and miniature pinscher being walked by their owner Will Leinberger on July 5 on the 8500 block of Ainslie Street.

According to Leinberger, who brought photos of his blood-drenched face to court with him to show the extent of his injuries from the day of the attack, Recchia grabbed the pit bull from his hands and ran back to his home after the attack, and his whereabouts are now unknown. His house has a for sale sign outside, and police couldn't say whether he still lived at the home, according to Leinberger.

Administrative Judge Donald Devlin was scheduled to decide whether to classify Vida as vicious at the Aug. 4 hearing, but despite Leinberger being in court along with another neighbor, Cindy Busse, whose poodle was reportedly injured two years ago by the same dog, Devlin continued the case to Sept. 8.

"We can't take (Recchia's) testimony because he's not here," Devlin said. "Sometimes freedom and democracy don't make a lot of sense."

The village designates dogs as vicious on a case-by-case basis, determined by the frequency and severity of its bites. If Vida would have been designated as vicious, the village would have required Recchia to keep the dog inside a 6-foot-tall enclosure, with the village having the authority to impound and euthanize it if the dog were to leave the property, according to police.

The continuance granted by the judge set the scene for a time of waiting for the victims, who said they live in fear of another attack.

"I have faith that the police will find a way to give (Recchia) another notice (about the court hearing)," Busse said. "The fact that he doesn't show up to court doesn't mean we can't take measures to protect the community."

Recchia has not returned messages seeking comment.

Leinberger choked back tears as he recounted grabbing Vida by the neck after the pit bull bit him in the face as he tried to protect his dogs. When police arrived, both dogs had been bitten on their backs and necks and were bleeding. They survived after being taken to a vet for emergency care, according to the police report.

"There are kids walking their dogs in the neighborhood, and I have a 9-year-old son. So what if he was walking the dog when this happened — and what if it happens again?" Leinberger said. "I have nothing against pit bulls, but how far will it go until someone is killed?"

Police said Thursday's no-show was the second time Recchia failed to appear for a scheduled court appearance. He still has an unpaid $750 fine for the attack on Busse's dog two years ago, police confirmed.